CHARLOTTE, NC, USA
CGCMT
CESSNA A185F
THE PILOT/OWNER OF THE ACFT INDICATED THAT HE HAD THE ACFT REFUELED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM SARASOTA. HE QUESTIONED THE LINE PERSON, WHO DID THE REFUELING, BUT DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK THE QUANTITY PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS AWARE THAT THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES WERE INACCURATE, SO HE ALWAYS FLEW BY ELAPSED TIME. APPROACHING CHARLOTTE, NC FROM THE SOUTH, HE CONTACTED APPROACH CONTROL AND INDICATED THAT HE WOULD LAND AT ROCK HILL, SC. AFTER SOME APPARENT CONSIDERATION, HE CHANGED HIS DESTINATION TO CHARLOTTE, WHICH WAS ONLY ABOUT 14 MI AWAY. HE WAS BEING RADAR VECTORED FOR A LANDING ON RUNWAY 18L AT CHARLOTTE, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT RADIOED THAT HE HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL AND WAS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON A SMALL LAKE, BECAME AIRBORNE AND COLLIDED WITH TREES AT THE EDGE OF THE LAKE. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL WAS FOUND AT THE SITE.
COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE FUEL EXHAUSTION WAS DUE TO THE PILOT NOT ASSURING AN ADEQUATE FUEL SUPPLY FOR THE FLIGHT BY VISUAL INSPECTION DURING HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE FLIGHT WITH A KNOWN INACCURACY IN THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATING SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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